TIPPERARY GOALKEEPER BRENDAN Cummins has retired from inter-county hurling.
The 38 year-old won two All-Ireland senior hurling medals with the county in 2001 and 2010 having made his senior championship debut for the county in 1995.
The Ballybacon-Grange club man told RTE’s Six One news this evening that family commitments influenced his decision to bring the curtain down on a brilliant career.
“The time is right now really for me to retire from inter-county hurling. Family has been the big reason.
“I have Paul and Sarah, now our new arrival, she’s a year old at the end of the month. So I want to spend more time with them.
“And obviously from a Tipperary hurling point of view, I’m around a long time and I think it’s time somebody else got a shot at it.”
Cummins won several honours between the posts for Tipperary including five Munster senior hurling medals and three National hurling league titles.
He won an All-Ireland U21 medal in 1995 and claimed Allstar awards for his goalkeeping exploits in 2000, 2001, 2003, 2008 and 2010.
His career highlights though were those September triumphs when Tipperary claimed the Liam McCarthy Cup with victory over Galway in 2001 and success against Kilkenny in 2010.
Cummins in action for Tipperary in 2001.
Pic: INPHO/Billy Stickland
And with his playing days behind him, Cummins is hopeful of one day moving into management.
“I think I would have an awful lot to offer. I would have to get certain skills back up from a coaching point of view.
“So I’m definitely not the complete package, even though I think I’ve seen 9 or 10 different managers and what their styles have been. I do have an awful lot of work to do from that side.”
